Hejaz Railway

Hejaz Railway

Turkish  Hicaz Demiryolu,  

      railroad between Damascus, Syria, and Medina (now in Saudi Arabia), one of the principal railroads of the Ottoman Turkish Empire.

      Its main line was constructed in 1900–08, ostensibly to facilitate pilgrimages to the Muslims' holy places in Arabia but in fact also to strengthen Ottoman control over the most distant provinces of the empire. The main line, built by a multiracial labour force mainly under the supervision of a German engineer, traversed 820 miles (1,320 km) of difficult country and was completed in only eight years. It ran from Damascus southward to Darʿā (Deraa) and thence over Transjordan via Az-Zarqāʾ, Al-Qaṭrānah, and Maʿān into northwestern Arabia, and inland via Dhāt al-Ḥajj and Al-ʿUlā to Medina. The major branch line, 100 miles (160 km) long, from Darʿā to Haifa on the Mediterranean coast of Palestine, was completed in 1905.

      Even before World War I (1914–18) the Bedouins of the adjacent desert areas attacked the railway, which challenged their control over the pilgrims' route to the holy places from the north. When the Arabs of the Hejaz revolted against Turkish rule in 1916, the track between Maʿān and Medina was put out of operation by Arab raids, largely inspired by the British military strategist T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia). After the war the operative sections of the track were taken over by the Syrian, Palestinian, and Transjordanian governments. The section of the railway running from Maʿān, Jordan, to Medina was heavily damaged and was abandoned after 1917; plans to restore the line in the 1960s were not fulfilled.

      In the late 20th century the northern portion of the Hejaz Railway (also called the Hejaz-Jordan Railway) between Amman, Jordan, and Damascus was in use and carried mostly freight. To the south, between Amman and Wādī al-Abyaḍ, the rail line was only partly in operational condition and was not being used. From Wādī al-Abyaḍ via Maʿān to Batṇ al-Ghūl the southern continuation of the Hejaz Railway was also in use, as was the relatively new rail line (owned by the Aqaba Railway Corporation) between Batṇ al-Ghūl and Al-ʿAqabah, which opened in 1975. Phosphates from the mines at Wādī al-Abyaḍ and nearby Al Ḥasā were transported by rail to the port of Al-ʿAqabah on the Red Sea.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hejaz railway — The Hejaz Railway (also Hedjaz, etc.) was a narrow gauge railway (105 cm) that ran from Damascus to Medina, through the Hejaz region of Arabia, with a branch line to Haifa, on the Mediterranean Sea. It was a part of the Ottoman railway network… …   Wikipedia

  • Hejaz Vilayet — Hicaz Vilayeti ولاية الحجاز Vilayet of the Hejaz Vilayet of Ottoman Empire …   Wikipedia

  • Hejaz-Bahn — Die Hedschasbahn/Hedjaz Railway (HR) (arabisch ‏سكة حديد الحجاز‎, DMG Sikkat ḥadīd al Ḥiǧāz) ist eine 1308 Kilometer lange Eisenbahnstrecke von Damaskus in Syrien nach Medina in Saudi Arabien und die Bezeichnung für die Gesellschaft, die diese… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Railway to Beersheba — The Railway to Beersheba ( he. מסילת הרכבת לבאר שבע, Mesilat HaRakevet LeVe er Sheva ) is the common name for the railroad which currently stretches from central Israel to the Zin Factories (Mount Zin) in southern Israel, with spurs to the Be er… …   Wikipedia

  • Hejaz — al Hejaz (also Hijaz, Hedjaz; ar. الحجاز al Ḥiǧāz , literally the barrier ) is a region in the west of present day Saudi Arabia. Defined mostly by the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is …   Wikipedia

  • Railway stations in Saudi Arabia — List of Railway stations in Saudi Arabia: Maps * [http://www.mitsui.co.jp/en/release/2007/1176631 1769.html North South Project] Towns Existing * Riyadh national capital * Hufuf * Haradh * Dammam Gulf port * Jubail Gulf port and industry Proposed …   Wikipedia

  • Jezreel Valley railway — The Jezreel Valley railway, or simply the Valley railway ( he. רכבת העמק, Rakevet HaEmek ) refers to a historical railroad in Ottoman and British Palestine, which was part of the larger Hejaz railway and ran along the Jezreel Valley.It was built… …   Wikipedia

  • Baghdad Railway — Chemin de Fer Impérial Ottoman de Baghdad CIOB in red (CFOA route to İstanbul in blue) Baghdad railway circa 1900 1910 …   Wikipedia

  • Istanbul Haydarpaşa railway station — Istanbul Haydarpaşa is a terminus main station of the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) in Haydarpaşa close to Kadiköy at the Anatolian part of Istanbul, Turkey. International, domestic and regional trains running to east and southbound destinations… …   Wikipedia

  • Chemins de Fer Syriens — Modern CFS passenger train, hauled by General Electric Class U17C, north of Aleppo on the former Baghdad Railway Locale Syria Dates of operation …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”